Can the hijab be a symbol of feminism? No, but the news media won’t stop trying to make the sale

There were quite a few hot takes spotted among the media’s coverage of #MuslimWomensDay this year. USA TODAY, for one, offered up the idea that the hijab had emerged as a symbol of feminism following the election of President Trump.

It wasn’t long after that CNN featured a music video in which a Muslim rapper “swaggin’ with her hijabis” made a statement against intolerance, and now CNN is back at the well, promoting the latest episode of “United Shades of America” with a tweet again asking the question: can the hijab be a symbol of feminism?

Funny how the most visible of the Women’s March organizers wears a hijab, and yet one of the march’s partners was removed from that list when it was discovered the group was pro-life. Women of all religions were welcome to participate as long as abortion was recognized as a common sacrament.

It certainly does seem important for progressives in the media to play up the compatibility of Islam and Western feminism, no matter how much of a stretch it takes. It’ll take a more convincing effort than they’ve put out so far, though.